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Revist Force Fetch?

My two year old lab breezed through force fetch this spring when we began formal training. Never drops a bumper or duck during training or junior hunt test and has handled a few live ducks and 4 geese real well this season. Problem began yesterday on pheasant and quail. He has dropped both before getting back to me and then refused to hold them when i put them back in his mouth - even with collar pressure. On today's retrieve he dropped it short and when i ordered him to fetch he rolled over on his back. No amount of pressure would make him pick up the bird. Question is should I quit the upland hunting and start all over again with force fetch or wait till the season is up and then address it - apparently I wasn't too good doing it the first time, but he seemed to really get it - grabbed everything in front of him.

When I do force fetch, I try to force fetch to each game bird I expect to encounter in our hunting or training-pheasant, chukar, duck, quail, pigeon. I don't know if this is common practice but I don't think it hurts. If you haven't done it this way maybe you can give it a try.

"I love the rod and gun and where they take me."

"Do not judge a man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins."

My two year old lab breezed through force fetch this spring when we began formal training.....Question is should I quit the upland hunting and start all over again with force fetch or wait till the season is up and then address it - .

Breezing through FF often means the process was not complete. A smart dog learned to beat the pressure, and fooled the trainer into believing he was trained. FF is a pressure conditioning process, and if "no amount of pressure" causes him to fetch he doesn't have an adequate education.

Don't wait; start now, and finish this process. Be patient and thorough - all steps, including forcing on birds.

Evan

"Prepare your dog in such a manner that the work he is normally called upon to do under-whelms him, not overwhelms him." ~ Evan Graham“People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.”

He is 24 months old and I only had pigeons and ducks when i did ff, Evan, I think you hit the nail on the head - he's a smart dog and I'm a new trainer so I think he pulled one over on me. i'm gonna redo ff, slower this time and use more birds. Thanks for all the responses.

Breezing through FF often means the process was not complete. A smart dog learned to beat the pressure, and fooled the trainer into believing he was trained. FF is a pressure conditioning process, and if "no amount of pressure" causes him to fetch he doesn't have an adequate education.

Don't wait; start now, and finish this process. Be patient and thorough - all steps, including forcing on birds.

Evan

VERY, VERY VERY TRUE....My biggest fear is a dog that is too anxious to get something in it's mouth ....Steve S